Electrode tights for pulse shape-up apparatus

ABSTRACT

A pair of electrode tights which does not require that one be naked when lying down to take a beauty treatment. Six pairs of flat electrodes EL 1  to EL 6,  ER 1  to ER 6  are attached to selected places symmetrical relative to the center fine inside of the garment, with the flat electrodes facing the underbelly, the inguinal region, the hip, the femoral region, the rear side of the knee and the calf of the body. These flat electrodes are connected to a pulse beauty treatment apparatus via electrically conductive press studs and a bundle of electric wires. The pair of electrode tights may have an elongated tubular bag for containing the bundle of electric wires. The elongated tubular bag has a fastener running along its full length for holding together two parts of the bag, and a plurality of relay terminals fixed inside for connecting the electric wires to the flat electrodes.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a pulse beauty treatment apparatuswhose electric pulse supply applies a train of electric pulse voltage toselected portions of the body with the aid of electrodes, therebyelectrically stimulating the body for beauty treatment, and moreparticularly to electrodes used in such a pulse beauty treatmentapparatus.

BACKGROUND ART

Bioelectric current is flowing ceaselessly in the body to assist cellswith their activities and muscles with their constriction.

The pulse beauty treatment apparatus can supply a train of pulse currentto the body for stimulation, thereby activating cells even more andmuscular contraction for improving the function of the body as thebioelectric current would do in flowing in the body.

In the pulse beauty treatment apparatus sucking electrodes are appliedto selected portions of the body as in electrocardiography.Alternatively clamp electrodes are used, pinching selected portions ofthe body.

Such electrodes, however, cannot be applied to selected portions of thebody with ease, and their application areas are so limited that they arenot sure to cover selected areas of the body without fail. A flat narrowor band-like electrode or a large four-sided or sheet-like electrode islarge in area, and can be applied to a selected portion of the body withease. These electrodes have aluminum foils applied to the narrow orfour-sided pieces of rubber or cloth. A band-like electrode is woundround a selected portion of the body. A sheet-like electrode is laid onthe mat, and one lies down on the sheet-like electrode with his back orfront upside.

The sheet-like electrode, however, restrains one from assuming one'spostures other than laying oneself down on the sheet-like electrode, andtherefore, one is fatigable in one's fixed posture. The winding of theband-like electrode round the selected portion of the body is apt torestrain one's activity. Inconveniently one cannot take such a beautytreatment without taking one's wear off.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to provide an electrode structurewhich permits one to take any desired posture while taking a beautytreatment, totally free of any restriction such as in the conventionalsheet-like electrode requiring that one be naked to lie on thesheet-like electrode.

The invention has a pair of electroded tights for use in a pulse beautytreatment apparatus, which pair of electroded tights made of stretchmaterial has flat electrodes of flexible, soft material fixed toselected portions of the inner surface of the garment, the flatelectrodes being adapted to be connected to an associated pulsegenerator. The invention further has a pair of electroded tights for usein a pulse beauty treatment apparatus, which pair of electroded tightshas a bundle of electric wires connected to its flat electrodes, thebundle of electric wires being contained in an elongated tubular bag,which has opening-and-closing means for opening the elongated tubularbag wide along its full length, and a plurality of relay terminalsattached inside for making electric connections between the flatelectrodes and the electric wires.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a pair of electroded tights;

FIG. 2 is a rear view of the pair of electroded tights;

FIG. 3 is a plane view of a bundle of electric wires;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a pulse beauty treatment 30 apparatus;

FIG. 5 is a time-varying diagram showing a symmetrical pulse-applicationpattern for pulsing stimulation;

FIG. 6 is a time-varying diagram showing a correspondingpulse-application pattern for pulsing stimulation;

FIG. 7 is a time-varying diagram showing a mother-and-daughter pulseapplication pattern for pulsing stimulation;

FIG. 8 illustrates a pair of electroded tights as being connected to apair of gloves and a portable pulse beauty treatment apparatus;

FIG. 9 illustrates an elongated tubular bag partly unfastened to showinside;

FIG. 10 illustrates two bundles of electric wires attached to theopposite outer sides and waist-surrounding part of the garment;

FIG. 11 is a front view of another pair of electroded tights;

FIG. 12 is a rear view of the pair of electroded tights of FIG. 11; and

FIG. 13 a bundle of flat arrangement of electric wires.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A pair of electrode tights according to one preferred embodiment of thepresent invention is described below.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 the pair of electrode tights A has six pairsof flat electrodes EL1 and ER1; EL2 and ER2; EL3 and ER3; EL4 and ER4;EL5 and ER5; and EL6 and ER6 applied inside. These electrodes will beapplied to the lower part of the body, particularly to the underbelly,the inguinal region, the hip, the femoral region, the rear side of theknee and the calf of the body when the pair of electrode tights A isworn on the body.

The pair of tights is made of expandable fabric to provide a very closefitting garment covering the legs and lower part of the body with itsflat electrodes applied to the selected portions of the body.

The pair of tights has twelve electrically conductive press studs “a”.

FIG. 3 shows twelve electric wires of different lengths, which are usedin connecting the flat electrodes EL1 to EL6 and ER1 to ER6 to the pulsebeauty treatment apparatus. These electric wires are divided in fourseries-connections each of three electric wires, and the fourseries-connections are gathered at their one ends as indicated by “b”,ending with an electric connector C, by means of which the electricwires can be connected to the pulse beauty treatment apparatus.

The twelve electrically conductive press studs “a” permit detachableconnection of the flat electrodes EL1 to EL6 and ER1 to ER6 to the pulsebeauty treatment apparatus.

The flat electrodes are sheets of urethane coated with carbon ink.

These flat electrodes are sewed on selected areas of the garment withtheir coatings facing inward; the selected areas will be put on theunderbelly, the inguinal region, the hip, the femoral region, the rearside of the knee and the calf of the body when the pair of electrodedtights A is worn on the body.

FIG. 4 shows a pulse beauty treatment apparatus. It comprises a console1, a CPU 2, a memory 3, a clock signal generator 4, an interface 5, adigital-to-analog converter 6, a pulse generator 7, a current detector8, an analog-to-digital converter 9, a protection circuit 10, a breaker11, and switching circuits 12A and 12B. A desired kind of beautytreatment and a desired pulse-application pattern are selectively readfrom the memory 3 with the aid of the CPU 2, and the reference clocksignal generator 4 is so controlled that the clock pulses may be dividedto provide digital trigger signals to meet the demand. The triggersignals are directed to the pulse generator 7 via the interface 5 andthe D/A converter 6, thus permitting the pulse generator 7 to producepulses of predetermined width and recurrence, which are directed to theprimary winding of an associated transformer T1. The current detector 8is connected to another transformer T2 parallel-connected to thetransformer T1, thereby watching and making a decision as to whether ornot an excessive current is flowing.

The electric current thus detected is directed to the CPU 2 via the A/Dconverter 9 and the I/D interface 5, so that the CPU2 may permit theprotection circuit 10 to respond to the rise of the electric currentbeyond the threshold value for actuating the breaker 11.

The switching circuits 12A and 12B are connected to theseries-connection of the secondary windings of the transformers T1 andT2. The flat electrodes EL1 to EL6 an ER1 to ER6 are connected to theswitching circuits 12A and 12B via the connector C.

The switching circuits 12A and 12B are so designed as to perform theirswitching actions via associated photocouplers, which are responsive tosignals from associated selectors 13A and 13B for making electricconnections between the pulse generator and selected flat electrodes.

Thus, the flat electrodes EL1 to EL6 and ER1 to ER6 are selectivelycombined to allow pulse currents to flow in the so selected flatelectrodes in such a pulse-application pattern that the desired beautytreatment may be effected on the body.

More specifically, one contact is selected among the contacts each ofthe switching circuits 12A and 12B, and the two contacts thus selectedare closed to provide two closed circuits including two flat electrodesassociated with the selected and closed contacts and the selectedportions of the body facing the two flat electrodes. Thus, the selectedportions of the body are stimulated by pulses from the pulse generator 7for beauty treatment.

One kind of beauty treatment is called “toning”, which can be carriedout by applying pulses at a relatively low recurrence ranging from 5 to10 Hz, thereby giving stimulation to a deep point in the body to causethe skeletal muscle movement, thereby expediting the blood circulationand kneading the selected portion of the body. Another kind of beautytreatment is called “drainage”, which can be carried out by applyingpulses at a relatively high recurrence ranging from 20 to 100 Hz,thereby giving stimulation to a shallow point in the body to cause themuscle movement under the skin, thereby expediting the flow of lymph inthe body and reducing dropsies, if any.

Special “toning” or “drainage” uses up-and-down cyclic variation ofpulse voltage, thereby giving cyclic variable stimulation to the body.

In the ordinary “toning” or “drainage” pulse current is allowed to flowin all of the electrodes simultaneously. In the time-sequential “toning”or time-sequential “drainage” pulse current is allowed to flow in groupsof electrodes one after another, and in the time-divisional “toning” ortime-divisional “drainage”, pulse current is allowed to flow in someselected groups of electrodes simultaneously.

Basic modes of pulse-application in a pair of electroded tights includea symmetrical pulse-application pattern; an alternate pulse-applicationpattern; and a mother-and-daughter pulse-application pattern.

Referring to FIG. 5, symmetrically paired, left and right flatelectrodes EL6 and ER6; EL5 and ER5; EL4 and ER4; EL3 and ER3; EL2 andER2; and finally EL1 and ER1 are supplied with electric pulsesequentially in the symmetrical pulse-application pattern, thusstimulating the calf, the rear side of the knee, the femoral region, thehip, the inguinal region and the underbelly of the body in the ordernamed. Paired flat electrodes are supplied with pulses for the period ofeight to ten seconds, and one to two second-long break appears beforeapplication of pulses to the subsequent paired electrodes.

Referring to FIG. 6, two adjacent flat electrodes EL5-EL6, ER5-ER6;EL4-EL5, ER4-ER5; EL3-EL4, ER3-ER4; EL2-EL3, ER2-ER3; and EL1-EL2,ER1-ER2 are supplied with electric pulse in the correspondingpulse-application pattern, thus stimulating, on either side, the rearside of the knee and the calf, the femoral region and the rear side ofthe knee; the hip and the femoral region; the inguinal region and thehip; and the underbelly and the inguinal region. Thus, the portions ofthe body supplied with pulses are selected sequentially to come closerto the center of the body. Positive and negative pulses are applied toselected paired portions of the body for the period of eight to tenseconds, and one to two second-long break appears before application ofpositive and negative pulses to subsequent paired electrodes.

Referring to FIG. 7, the flat electrodes EL3 and ER3 facing the hip ofthe body are selected as mother electrodes, and one and the other motherelectrode are combined with one and counter daughter electrodes selectedamong those electrodes other than the mother electrodes. One set of twomother-and-daughter electrode combinations EL3-EL6 and ER3-ER6 aresupplied with electric pulse simultaneously, and then another set of twomother-and-daughter electrode combinations EL3-EL5 and ER3-ER5 aresupplied with electric pulse simultaneously, and so forth in themother-and-daughter pulse-application pattern, thus stimulating thecalf, the rear side of the knee, the femoral region, the inguinal regionand the underbelly of the body in the order named while stimulating thehip all the time. Thus, the portions of the body supplied with pulsesare selected sequentially to come closer to the center of the body.Pulses are applied to each of the mother-and-daughter combinations forthe period of eight to ten seconds, leaving one to two second-long breakbefore application of pulses to subsequent mother-and-daughter electrodecombination.

In these pulse-application patterns pulsating stimulation is displacedtoward the center of the body to stimulate muscles at different portionsof the body, thereby driving the lymph and blood toward the heart. As aresult the lymph is not allowed to be stagnant, and the circulation ofblood is expedited.

The tight fitting and covering of the legs and lower part of the body incooperation with the pulsating stimulation has the effect of preventingappearance of dropsy, which otherwise, would appear on the leg whilestanding and working an elongated time.

Referring to FIG. 8, a pair of electroded tights A can be connected to aportable beauty treatment apparatus B, thus conveniently allowing awearer to work or walk freely while taking a beauty treatment.

Also, the pair of electroded tights A can be connected to a pair ofelectroded gloves D to improve the treatment effect.

Now, the manner in which a pair of electroded tights according to thepresent invention is used is described below.

FIG. 9 illustrates an elongated tubular bag for containing a bundle ofelectric wires.

The elongated tubular bag “d” is made of a cloth, and it has a fastener“e” attached to its full length for holding together two parts of thetubular bag “d”, and a plurality of relay terminals “f” fixed inside.The relay terminals “f” pass through the thickness of the cloth to beexposed inside and outside. Electric wires “g” are connected to therelay terminals “f” inside, and the relay terminals “f” snap in theelectrically conductive press studs “h” of the pair of electroded tightsoutside.

The elongated tubular bag “d” is unfastened to open wide. A bundle ofelectric wires “g” are put in the elongated tubular bag, and their endsare connected to the relay terminals “f”. Then, the tubular bag “d” isclosed to contain the bundle of the electric wires inside.

As shown in FIG. 10, the elongated tubular bag “d” is attached to eitherouter side of the pair of electroded tights “A” by making the relayterminals “f” to snap in the electrically conductive press studs

The elongated tubular bag “d” is washable. It is unfastened to removethe bundle of electric wires “g” from the relay terminals “f”, and then,the tubular bag “d” is removed from the pair of electroded tights “A” tobe washed.

The tubular bag “d” is preferably made of the same stretch cloth as thepair of electroded tights because otherwise, a wearer may haveinsufficient stretch feeling locally.

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate the front and rear sides of a pair of tightsA having two elongated tubular bags “d” attached to the opposite sidesof the pair of tights A.

FIG. 13 shows a bundle of flat arrangement of electric wires g similarto the bundle of electric wires “b” in structure.

The present invention permits one to take a beauty treatment by wearinga pair of electroded tights, which has a plurality of flat electrodesattached inside.

One can have, therefore, a beauty treatment without taking off one'scloth, thus facilitating the practice of beauty treatment even inpresence of people.

The beauty treatment does not require that one is naked to lie down,permitting any way of holding one's body. Thus, one is permitted tostand, sit in a chair, walk, work or take an exercise.

Advantageously a pair of electroded tights can be so sized as to fitone's body with its flat electrodes applied exactly to selectedtreatment-effective points of the body.

The pair of tights is made of such a stretch material that theelectrodes are pushed against the body. Also, the very close fittinggarment covers the legs and lower part of the body tightly, andtherefore, the tight fitting along with the expediting of bloodcirculation and lymph flow caused by the pulsating stimulation has theeffect of preventing the appearance of dropsy, which would otherwise,appear on the legs while working on one's feet.

As described in claim 1, a bundle of electric wires to be connected tothe flat electrodes can be contained in an elongated tubular bag,thereby preventing the tangling of electric wires which otherwise, wouldbe caused, and at the same time, facilitating the attaching and removingof the electric wires from a pair of electroded tights while improvingthe appearance of the pair of electroded tights.

What is claimed is:
 1. In a pulse beauty treatment apparatus, a pair ofelectrode tights made of a stretch material having a plurality of flatelectrodes of soft inside, stretch material, which flat electrodes beingadapted to be connected to an associated pulse generator, wherein saidelectrode tights comprise an elongated tubular bag for containing abundle of electric wires, which are to be connected to said flatelectrodes, said elongated tubular bag having a fastener running alongits full length for holding together two parts of said bag, and aplurality of relay terminals fixed inside for connecting said electricwires to said flat electrodes.